Professional paper

A study of surgical efficiency of ultrasonic shear (harmonic scalpel) thyroidectomy compared with conventional thyroidectomy

Ivo Glunčić ; KBC Split, Klinika za bolesti uha, grla i nosa s kirurgijom glave i vrata
Draško Cikojević ; KBC Split, Klinika za bolesti uha, grla i nosa s kirurgijom glave i vrata
Marisa Klančnik ; KBC Split, Klinika za bolesti uha, nosa i grla s kirurgijom glave i vrata
Zaviša Čolović ; KBC Split, Klinika za bolesti uha, nosa i grla s kirurgijom glave i vrata

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficiency of ultrasonic shear (harmonic scalpel) thyroidectomy, compared with conventional thyroidectomy.
Study design: Prospective, case control comparison.
Methods: sixty- nine consecutive patients were recruited over a twenty-four month period. Patients were divided into two groups according to their thyroidectomy technique, i.e. ultrasonic shear technique (harmonic scalpel) vs conventional technique (scalpel and bipolar diathermy). The ratio of surgical time to specimen weight, in minutes per gram, was used to measure surgical efficiency. The unpaired Student`s test was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The mean surgical time per specimen unit weight was 2.49 min/g for harmonic scalpel thyroidectomy and 5.78 min/g for conventional thyroidectomy. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.037). The difference was most evident for procedures involving smaller thyroid glands.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that thyroidectomy using a harmonic scalpel is more time-efficient than conventional thyroidectomy, especially when operating on smaller thyroid glands.

Keywords

Thyroidectomy; thyroid gland; operative time

Hrčak ID:

77313

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/77313

Publication date:

1.2.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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